I Choose You!
by Kishiro Kitsune
Summary: Hetalia x Pokémon. As per tradition in the Vargas family, Lovino Vargas gets to choose his very first pokémon at the age of 12 - an Eevee which he names Sicily.
1. Chapter 1

**I Choose You!**

_1. First _

A tradition of the Vargas family was to receive a pokémon companion upon turning twelve. That pokémon was always an Eevee. It had been that way for many generations and was a well-cherished family tradition.

Grandpa Roman Vargas, guardian of his three wonderful grandson's, beamed widely as his oldest stumbled sleepily down the stairs of their home. He managed to wait until the boy was in the kitchen before bounding over and sweeping him up into a hug.

"Happy birthday, Lovino~!" He sang cheerily, kissing the newly-turned twelve-year-old on the forehead.

Lovino turned bright red at the attention and pushes away from his grandfather, grumbling his thanks once he broke free of his grasp. As he gathered his favorite cereal and ignored the chuckling of his grandfather, his younger brothers skipped happily down the stairs and into the kitchen. They eagerly lapped up the attention Grandpa Roman gave them. Lovino rolled his eyes as he sat down with his food.

"Happy birthday, Feliciano," Grandpa Roman said, planting a kiss atop his middle grandson's head.

"Ve~ grazie," Feliciano said with a giggle. He smiled brightly at Lovino, who scowled back. "Happy birthday, fratello! I bet you're excited about today!"

Lovino poured moomoo milk onto his cereal and then viciously dug his spoon into it. "No. Why should I be?"

Feliciano gasped in horror, his amber eyes widening. "But Lovi, you get to go pick your Eevee today!"

The oldest brother said nothing as he ate a spoonful of cereal. He hadn't forgotten about it. He just didn't want to get his hopes up. He'd shared a birthday with Feliciano for tenyears and had come to expect being outshined by his younger brother, even on that day. His twelfth birthday would be no different from the rest.

A Flareon trotted into the room carrying a newspaper in its mouth. He jumped up onto one of the chairs and deposited it on the table. He continued to sit there as he turned his wise, unblinking black eyes onto Lovino.

Grandpa Roman chuckled and gave his oldest pokémon a treat and a quick scratch behind the ears in thanks. "Even Remus here remembered what day it is. He woke me up early this morning so we could go down to the Peeters Breeding Center and make sure they remember we're coming over."

Marco, the youngest of the Vargas boys, climbed up into his chair and reached for his favourite sugary cereal. He began clumsily pouring it into his bowl. "I can't wait to get my own Eevee."

"Me too," said Feliciano. "Two more years… You're lucky, Lovi."

Marco pouted. "I don't want to wait five more years."

"It'll go by quickly, kiddo," promised Grandpa Roman. He looked over at Lovino, who was beginning to get uncomfortable under the gaze of Remus. "We'll go down there after breakfast, just the two of us."

That took Lovino by surprise. His grandpa never asked him to go do things with him. Not without his younger brothers. He smiled slightly to himself and ate his breakfast with a little more vigour.

Marco and Feliciano whined about not being able to go. Grandpa Roman scolded them lightly, reminding them that they could only go when it was their turn.

"Machamp will watch after you," he told them.

The youngest two whined some more.

"But I like it when Hitmonchan watches us better," Marco said with a pout.

"He lets you get away with too much," Grandpa Roman said.

Lovino heard none of the conversation, too busy daydreaming about how life would be with an Eevee as a companion.

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* * *

><p>.<p>

The breeding center of their town was managed by an elderly couple who were in the process of turning the business over to their three grandchildren. They were kind people with plenty of knowledge about pokémon which they were always happy to share.

Back when his parents were still alive, Lovino spent many afternoons playing with the Peeters children in the pen with newly hatched Growlithe pups.

That was why, when Grandmother Peeters drew him into a warm hug and Grandfather Peeters patted him on the shoulder affectionately, he didn't struggle. He did, however, scowl at their oldest grandson, who stared coolly back for a moment before looking away to pluck a Zubat free from his scarf. The flying pokémon screeched loudly in protest.

Grandmother Peeters immediately released Lovino and looked over at her grandson. "Lars, be a dear and take Lovino to the Eevee enclosure. I'll take the little Zubat."

The teenager nodded and handed over the pokémon, who squeaked contentedly when Grandmother Peeters allowed it to crawl into her coat pocket and snuggle up there.

"It's this way," Lars told Lovino, gesturing for him to follow.

Lovino glanced at his grandpa, who seemed more interested in talking to the Peeters couple than following along. He huffed, though he wasn't really surprised, and followed his old playmate.

As he left, he caught part of their conversation.

"Hardworking boy you have there," remarked Grandpa Roman.

"Oh, yes," agreed Grandmother Peeters. "He and Zacharie both. I worry about Laura though."

"She has her father's spirit," Grandfather Peeters said fondly. "All she wants to do is run wild and free…"

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><p>.<p>

Lovino and Lars were mobbed by a mass of chortling, happy Eevee the moment they stepped into the pen. There were only ten or so, but the way they ran around them, darting between their legs and tripping them up as they walked made it seem like there were many more.

Lars caught one as it jumped up onto him. "You came just in time. We're going to start moving them outside today."

"What's going in here next?" Lovino asked. He managed to get over to one of the fallen logs and sat down without falling over. The Eevee gathered around his legs, begging for attention.

"Bug types, I think," Lars replied, scratching the Eevee in his arms under its chin. "A few Caterpie and Weedle. I think we have a Paras or two getting ready to hatch."

Lovino shuddered a little. He wasn't very fond of bug pokémon. An Eevee jumped into his lap and he managed to pat it on the head before it hopped down and ran off into the tall, fake grass. As he watched, several others chased after it.

"They want you to play," Lars noted.

Lovino crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not here to play. I'm here to pick one of them."

Lars hummed as he set down the Eevee he'd been holding. "You should know by now that pokémon choose you, not the other way around. Remember Laura and her Sentret?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lovino grumbled. How could he forget how jealous he'd felt when, at eight years old, Laura had a pokémon companion to call her own. She still had the fluffy creature, though it'd evolved into a Furret while protecting her from a rogue Starly.

The Eevee that had run off began chortling loudly and then a dark blur shot out of the tall grass. It leapt for Lovino, landing squarely on his chest and knocking him backwards off the log. Lovino cursed loudly and grabbed the fluffy creature by the scruff of its neck before it could run away.

"Little fucker," he grumbled as he sat up. He lifted the wiggling pokémon to eye level for a better look.

Unlike the rest of the Eevee, his coat wasn't reddish-brown. It was much darker - more of a rich, dark chocolate color with a reddish tone to it. And where the others had accents of off-white and cream, the one he was holding had accents of light tannish-brown.

"Looks like they managed to flush out the shy one," Lars remarked. "He's been here for about a year now. He never comes out for anyone except Laura. If it weren't for her, I would've left him outside."

The Eevee stopped struggling and smacked Lovino's arm with its back paw a few times before giving up. Pitiful black eyes stared at him and it was then that a choice was made.

"I want him," Lovino heard himself say. He lowered the Eevee to his chest and wrapped one arm around him securely before releasing the scruff of his neck.

Lars smirked knowingly, but didn't say a word. Instead, he quietly led Lovino back out front so they could finalize everything.

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* * *

><p>.<p>

Five years later, Lovino found it hard to believe how lucky he'd gotten to have been picked by such a wonderful Eevee. As he walked through the crowds of an amateur pokémon trainer tournament in search of his companions - Feliciano and Laura - he couldn't help but think back to the first time he met the pokémon.

"Fratello!" Feliciano shouted, his voice rising above the chatter of the crowd. He pushed through a gathering of people, waving his arms wildly in the air and doing his best to get his brother's attention as he ran towards him. "I made it to the semi-finals! What about you?" He asked once he reached Lovino.

Lovino wordlessly held up his card, showing that he hadn't lost. His Eevee, who he'd named Sicily, chortled softly and pawed at his leg.

"Yay! We're both in the semi-finals!" Feliciano cheered. "I'm up against someone named 'Ludwig' next. What about you?"

"Antonio," Lovino muttered, nodding towards a smiling brunet who was busy chatting-up a blushing Laura. There was a Turtwig sitting on his head.

Feliciano followed his gaze and stared at his brother's next opponent for a moment. Then he smiled brightly. "He looks nice!"

Before Lovino could snap back with a reply, an announcement for the beginning of the semi-finals rose above the clamour of the crowd. Feliciano skipped off, eager to get to his next match and show off the skills of his Vaporeon named Macaroni. Lovino glared at Antonio for a moment longer until Laura spotted him and waved. He turned around quickly and picked up Sicily before stomping off towards his designated battlefield.

There was no way he was losing to that charming, smiley bastard.

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><p>End<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

Ah, something to write in hopes of overcoming writers block on my other fanfictions. And I've been in a pokemon mood lately, it seems.

Thanks to everyone over on the Hetalia Event Comm for giving me feedback and new ideas for what pokémon the characters should have!


	2. Chapter 2

******Edit**: Thanks to my anonymous reviewer, for pointing out that it should be _electric_-type and not thunder-type. It should be fixed now.

**I Choose You**

_2. A Pokémon of My Own_

There were times when Elizaveta felt like she was nothing more than a massive disappointment to her parents.

They lived in the upper-class section of their small town and it was expected of her to be a polite young lady who could cook, clean, and entertain all guests with grace and charm, but Elizaveta wasn't like that at all. Her two best friends were the sons of a well-known engineer and she spent her days running through the forests around their town with the older of the brothers. She cut her hair shorter than her parents liked and wore it tied in a ponytail. She refused to wear skirts and dresses - it was much easier to move around without worry in pants and t-shirts.

Some days it bothered Elizaveta that her parents weren't supportive of her choices. Other days, usually when she was roaming around town or exploring the forest, she didn't mind so much, too caught up in having fun to think about it.

Elizaveta relaxed in the grassy field on the outskirts of town, listening to her friends train their pokémon. Gilbert, the older of the brothers, had a Pidgey named Julchen, and the younger brother, Ludwig, had a semi-well behaved Growlithe named Aster.

Gilbert cackled happily as Julchen returned from her flight with a berry in her claw. Deeming her training for the day complete, Gilbert joined Elizaveta in the grass.

"Did you hear about the pokémon researcher who's in town today?" He asked.

Elizaveta nodded. "Of course. It's the talk of the town. Mother thinks he's here to choose a trainer to give a pokémon to. I've been banned from speaking to him, of course."

"So that's means you're going to, right?" Gilbert asked with a grin.

"Naturally," Elizaveta responded with a smirk.

Aster barked suddenly and went running after something she spotted in the grass - most likely a Pachirisu or Ratatatta. Ludwig shouted for her to heel, but she paid him no mind.

"I told him he ought to reconsider a Growlithe as his first," Gilbert remarked, sounding amused. "Dad did too. But Luddy's too stubborn."

Elizaveta laughed, watching as Aster ran back to Ludwig and jumped on him, knocking him over. "Maybe we should leave him alone for a while."

Gilbert nodded in agreement. "Hey, Ludwig! Me and Veta are going into town! Have fun with your training!

Whatever reply Ludwig had was cut off when his young Growlithe decided she wanted to lick him across his face. Gilbert and Elizaveta laughed at his misfortune as they stood up and began the walk back to town. Julchen the Pidgey flew around them a few times before alighting on Gilbert's shoulder.

In town, the streets were noticeably busier than normal. Groups of kids were running around together, talking noisily. Young ladies hovered in small gatherings, whispering and giggling to one another. Older boys were also out and about, showing off their pokémon and bragging loudly about how strong they were.

"So whaddya think this guy is like?" Gilbert asked. "Cuz I think he'll be some stuck up, better-than-thou guy. Kind of like the Edelsteins, except he'll actually know what he's talking about."

Elizaveta laughed at the description. "I don't think anyone could be as bad as them."

The two entered the main courtyard as they bounced ideas back and forth about what the researcher might be like, based on stories they'd heard from other people. Their favorite seemed to be different combinations of the stereotypical researcher - glasses, white coat, and unkempt hair.

They laughed and carried on, having a grand time until they realized they didn't have a clue about where to find the researcher. After bickering over whether to ask someone or keep looking on their own, Gilbert finally caved in to Elizaveta's demands and agreed to check in with the pokémon professor of their town to see if he was there.

It wasn't the most noticeable building. It looked like all the others around it. The only way it stuck out was the white sign on the door, which simply read: "Professor Zwingli".

Though Gilbert's father was good friends with the professor, neither Gilbert nor Ludwig got along very well with the professor's oldest child, a boy named Vash who was determined to follow in the footsteps of his father. His little sister, on the other hand, was the friendliest, kindest person in their whole town, and was diligently protected by her older brother.

"Professor?" Elizaveta called as she opened the front door.

While she was at least trying to be polite, Gilbert would have none of it. He shoved her aside and threw open the door, boldly announcing his presence. "Hey, Professor Z! What's up?"

Professor Zwingli was a man in his late thirties with a kind smile and a seemingly permanent beard. His hair was blond, and while his children preferred to wear their's cut under their chins, his was much shorter.

He smiled warmly at his guests. "Good afternoon, Elizaveta. Gilbert. How can I help you today?"

"We wanna meet the researcher guy who's in town!" Gilbert said, making no effort to beat around the bush. "Veta said you'd probably know where he's at."

Professor Zwingli chuckled. "I thought that might be the case." He gestured for them to step inside. "Professor Patil is a very dear friend of mine, so mind your behavior when you're meeting him. And please tell no one else that he's staying here. He only came to pay me a visit and talk about research, not whatever nonsense is spreading throughout the town. Right now he's out in the back with Vash and Lillie, taking a look at their pokémon."

Julchen chirped loudly.

Professor Zwingli smiled fondly at the bird pokémon. "Hello there, little Pidgey. I'm sure he'd love to meet you as well. I was just about to join them, if you'd like to follow me."

Never one to turn down the chance to show off his pokémon, Gilbert instantly agreed for the both of them. Elizaveta rolled her eyes but didn't complain. Even though all of the rumors they'd heard had been false, she still wanted to meet him. She enjoyed learning about pokémon. It made her feel like she'd be much more prepared when she was finally able to have her own.

They followed Professor Zwingli through the building and out through the backdoor. Relaxing in the shade of a massive oak tree were Vash and Lillie Zwingli, with their pokémon, and a rather young-looking man with dark hair and eyes.

Lillie's Buneary perked up its ears and turned its head as they approached. Vash's Sandshrew turned to look at them, assessing whether or not Julchen was a threat before looking away dismissively.

"Hello!" Lillie greeted them, smiling up at her friends. "Papa! Mr. Patil was just telling us about the adventures you used to go on together!"

"Nothing too bad, I hope," said Professor Zwingli in good humor. "Shandar, these two are Gilbert and Elizaveta, my other summer assistants. They decided to drop by for a visit."

Elizaveta curtsied awkwardly. "Nice to meet you, professor."

Gilbert just raised a hand and did a little wave. "Hey." Julchen chirped and fluttered her wings at the movement, and he gently stroked her feathers to get her to calm down. She quickly settled down with a soft crooning sound.

"Please, take a seat," Professor Patil said kindly. Gilbert and Elizaveta wasted no time in sitting down in the grass near Lillie. "My, that is quite the lovely Pidgey you have. You can tell how well you take care of her. Such glossy feathers."

Julchen preened at the attention. Gilbert sat up straighter.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome. I train with her every day," he bragged. "Once we start traveling around together, we're going to be the best team ever! Right, Julchen?"

"_Pidgey!"_ She loudly agreed.

Professor Patil chuckled. "So, I'm guessing you want to be a pokémon trainer. You've got quite the journey ahead of you." He turned his attention to Elizaveta. "And what about you, miss? I notice you don't even have a pokéball on you. Do you not have a companion to call your own?"

Smile slipping away, Elizaveta shook her head. She didn't feel comfortable explaining to a stranger that her parents refused to allow her to have a pokémon until she accepted her responsibilities as the only heir of the Héderváry family. Even then she knew she wouldn't be able to choose one herself. It would be selected for her by her parents.

Catching sight of the expression on her face, Gilbert wisely stayed silent. Even he could be tactful when the situation called for it.

Professor Patil's countenance turned thoughtful. "Perhaps you've yet to meet the right pokémon." He changed his gaze to Professor Zwingli. "In my letter I mentioned finding a rather rare specimen that I wanted to show you. I think now may be the right time to show you. She's rather shy, so I ask that you all stay still and quiet. We don't want to startle her."

The children and Professor Zwingli waited with baited breath as the man reached into the pocket of his traveling coat and withdrew a green-and-white pokéball. He gently tossed it into the air, and in a flash of light a small pokémon appeared in the grass. It shook its stout, leafy green and white body and then froze in fright, noticing the crowd in front of it.

Elizaveta breathed out softly, her eyes going wide.

"This is a Shaymin," Professor Patil explained, keeping his voice low. "They live in flowering meadows away from towns and cities. They say that when a forest burns down or when land has been ruined by mining and turns into a lush field of flowers overnight, it's the work of one of these fellows."

"She's beautiful," Elizaveta whispered in awe.

"I had intended on keeping her for a while longer in order to learn more about Shaymin, but I think that maybe there's another way," said Professor Patil. "If you can earn her trust and show me that you're worthy of being her trainer, I'll transfer her to you."

Elizaveta gasped, forgetting entirely about being quiet in front of the pokémon. "You'd really do that?"

The Shaymin squeaked in fear and curled up so she looked like a flower bush.

Professor Patil nodded. "I would. As long as you understand that it could take many weeks to accomplish."

Elizaveta made sure to lower her voice when she spoke again. "I promise, sir. I'll work hard every day. I won't let you down."

A warm smile broke out across Professor Patil's tanned face. "Excellent."

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><p>.<p>

"Luddy!"

Elizaveta laughed as her best friend sprang out of the crowd to grab his brother in a headlock. It'd been two years since she befriended and earned her first pokémon and nearly as long since they'd left their home village to travel the regions and become pokémon trainers. Not much had changed.

Gilbert had added several more bird-types to his arsenal, and though Julchen the Pidgeot remained his favorite, he still had plenty of love for his temperamental Spearow (Garrit), his calm and collected Tranquill (Frieda), and his fearless Staravia (Bathilda).

With Aster the Growlithe at his side, Ludwig had gone on to collect two more dog-types - a Houndour named Berlitz and a Poochyena named Blackie. Each were well trained to respond to commands and were incredibly loyal. Berlitz had quickly established himself as the group protector, keeping watch over their camp at night and growling at any and all intruders to scare them away.

Elizaveta had surprised herself and her friends with the pokémon she captured. Gilbert had nearly fallen over laughing when she said she wanted to catch a Deerling. The first time she'd used him in battle, the bird trainer really had fallen over laughing and, while wiping tears from his eyes, said he'd never thought he'd live to see the day when she would choose such girlish pokémon to raise. Her capture of a Cubone had managed to shut him up for a while.

"Oh, hey, you made it through the Western section to the semi-finals. Pretty awesome, baby bro. Maybe we'll get to fight each other in the end! I've just gotta beat some kid named Matthew and then whoever wins the other Eastern match going on and I'll be in the finals!" Gilbert said gleefully.

A disgruntled Ludwig extracted himself from Gilbert's hold and rubbed the side of his neck. "You shouldn't underestimate the other trainers here. Especially not the ones who have made it so far. You've been lucky that you haven't gone up against someone with electric-types yet."

"Julchen and the others are awesome enough to handle whatever those other pokémon can throw at them," Gilbert boasted proudly, puffing out his chest.

"I don't think even Julchen could handle a thunderbolt dead-on, Gil," Elizaveta said as she approached.

Gilbert's red eyes gleamed at the sight of her. "Veta! Did you win your match? Are you in too?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm up against someone called Lucien next. I managed to catch the tail-end of his last match. He uses dark-types. I'm pretty sure I can handle him." She smirked at Gilbert. "And if I manage to beat Ludwig afterwards, then that means it'll be me and you. _If_ you luck out and manage to beat both of your opponents, that is."

"Either way, the fact that we've made it so far in this competition says a lot about our skills as trainers," Ludwig said before the two could start arguing. "Lets keep doing our best. I've got my next match soon. What about the two of you?"

"Not for a few more hours. My pokémon need a rest," Elizaveta said. "I dropped them off at the Center so they can heal up and relax."

"I'm about to head over there. Garrit hurt his wing in that last battle and I want to get it looked at," said Gilbert. "I'll drop them all off over there and then come watch your battle."

"I'll save you a spot," Elizaveta promised.

The trio split up to go their different ways, knowing that no matter who won or lost they'd be back to traveling together once the tournament was over. Elizaveta just hoped Gilbert wouldn't win the entire thing. He'd be unbearable if he did.

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><p>End Chapter<p>

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><p>.<p>

Professor Shandar Patil = India

If you ever forget or don't know a pokemon, I'd recommend using the Pokemon Database. ( pokemondb net/ pokedex/ all )

just add a "." between pokemondb and net


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